January 31st

Søren Anton Sørensen (31-01-1840 - 11-02-1896) Danish composer

Søren_Anton_Sørensen [Wikipedia.da]

According to Martin Møller, whose Skakjournal was quoted here in 2009:

"Søren Anton Sørensen was taught chess at the age 11 (1851) by H.Møller, when he was a regular visitor at Sulsted præste-gård (vacarage) - (H.Møller was former chairman in the first Copenhagen chess club/Københavns skak forening 1844-1846)."

Martin Møller then narrates a little anecdote which you may read on Rick Kennedy's Jerome Gambit blog. Anyway, S.A.S. was a talented chess player, whose games you may browse through on ChessGames.com.
He also wrote with A. Arnell an anthology of Nordic problems: "Nordiske Skakproblemer" (1879) that can be read on Anders Thulin website.

Sørensen won a tourney organised by the BCF in 1873. One of the problems of the set was the following:

Sørensen, Søren Anton
British Chess Association, 1873
1^st Prize, Set

#4

7 + 11

Show Solution

1.Rf3! (2.Qf6+ Kxe4 3.Re3#)

1...Sxf3 2.Sc6+ Sxc6 3.Qd5+ Kf6 4.Qe6# or 2...Kxe4 3.Qd5+ Sxd5 4.Bc2#
1...Bxf3 2.Sc6+ Sxc6 3.Qd5+ Kf6 4.Qe6# or 2...Kxe4 3.Qe8+ Re7/Kd3/Kf5 4.Qg6/Qe3/Qe6#
1...Re7 2.Rf5+ Kxe4 3.Qxe7+ Kd3,Kxd4 4.Qe3#
1...Rf7/Sxg2 2.Sc6+ Kxe4 3.Qd4+ Kxf3 4.Bd1#
1...Sec2 2.Qf6+ Kxe4 3.Se6 (4.Sc5,Qf5#)
1...Rg6 2.Sf5 (3.Qd4#) Rd6 3.Qe7+ Re6 4.Qxe6# or 2...Sc6 3.Qd5+ Kf6 4.Qe6# or 2...Kxe4 3.Qd4+ Kxf3 4.Bd1# (2...Sd5 3.Qxd5+ Kf6 4.e5,Qd4,Qe6# or 2...Se~/Sbc2/Bb6 3.Qe8+,Qe7+/Qe8+,Qd5+,Qe7+/Qe8+,Qe7+)

Model mates.